Nozzle for vacuum cleaners



March 31, 1936. Q A BROCK 2,035,688

NOZZLE FOR VACUUM CLEANERS.

Filed May 21, 1954 m INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 31, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mesne assignments,

Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application May 21, 1934, Serial No. 726,720

14 Claims.

This invention relates to nozzles for vacuum cleaners and the like, the principal object being the provision of a construction by means of which the suction effect of the nozzle may be easily and quickly concentrated over a relatively small area or may be extended over a relatively large area.

Objects of the invention include the provision of a nozzle for suction cleaners or the like embodying a structure providing a normal or service suction intake area or port opening for presentation to a carpet or other article to be cleaned, and additionally embodying a member providing an auxiliary or supplemental nozzle and having a port opening normally opening into the main or service port opening but movable relative thereto whereby it may be presented to an article to be cleaned in such a manner as to limit the suction effect of the entire nozzle structure to the port area of such supplementary nozzle only; the provision of a nozzle member for a vacuum cleaner or the like as above described in which the air being withdrawn into thenozzle through the main or service port opening must also 'pass through the supplementary or auxiliary nozzle port opening; the provision of a device as above described which is controlled entirely by the angularity of the wand or handle for the nozzle; and

the provision of a construction as above de-.

scribed that is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and efficient in operation.

Other objects of the invention include a nozzle for vacuum cleaners or the like embodying a main casing having an elongated suction opening or port in a face thereof and a central opening, and a suction connection for the nozzle including a member received in and substantially sealing said central opening and provided with a port opening therein normally opening into the interior of the casing but movable relative thereto whereby to bring it into direct contact with the surface being cleaned so as to concentrate the suction effect of the nozzle structure to the suction connection only which thereby enables the suction connection to function as a supplementary nozzle; the provision of a structure as above described in which the suction connection is pivotally mounted in the casing and in substantial sealing relation with respect to the walls of the opening in which it is received; and the provision of a construction as above described in which the suction connection member is provided with bristles or the like in that face thereof adapted for engagement with the surface to be cleaned.

The above being among the objects of the presto Rexair Corporation,

REISSUED ent invention, the same consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, and then claimed, having the above and other objects in view;

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a suitable embodiment of the present invention and in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several different views,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a vacuum cleaner nozzle assembly embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary, partially broken, partially sectioned plan view of the nozzle shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a. vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing the suction connecting member or auxiliary nozzle in its normal operating position.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but illustrating the suction connection member or auxiliary nozzle in a position to limit the suction effects of the nozzle structure to the area of the port opening in the auxiliary nozzle only.

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the nozzle shown in the preceding views on the same scale as in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

Fig. 6 is a. reduced bottom plan view of the nozzle shown in the preceding views, taken as on' the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown in Fig. l a vacuum cleaner nozzle member indicated generally at IU provided with a tubular wand or handle I2 of conventional construction the upper end of which is shown connected to a flexible tube l4. The opposite end of the tube I4 is adapted to be secured to a suction producing device, not shown, in accordance with certain types of socalled vacuum cleaners. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description that the particular type of nozzle structure shown and described may also be applied to that type of vacuum cleaner in which the suction producing device is closely associated with the nozzle structure rather than the remotely associated type for which the particular embodiment of the nozzle structure shown in the accompanying drawing is designed, the particular embodiment shown in the drawing being employed as a matter of illustration because of its simplicity.

As disclosed in Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, the nozzle structure It! includes a main casing iii of elongated inverted U-shaped section having opposite ends thereof closed to provide a downward- The casing I6 is centrally provided with a pair of rearwardly projecting, vertically disposed webs or walls 20 formed integrally with the casing 16 and spaced laterally from one another with respect to the width of the casing l6, and the space between the walls 2|) is in open communication with the hollow interior 22 of the casing IS. A web such as 24, best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is preferably provided between the walls 20 adjacent their rear or left hand end as viewed in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, at the lower edges of the walls and so as to provide an additional area of contact between the nozzle structure and the 'surface upon which it is supported so as to stiffen the structure as well as'to maintain the nozzle structure in the desired normal position with respect to such surface.

The opposed faces 26 of the walls 20 are formed relatively smooth and in planes substantially parallel to each other, and slidably but closely received between the walls 26 is an auxiliary or high suction nozzle member 28 which is pivotally mounted on a pin 30 extending between the walls 20. The front or right hand face 3! of the member 28, as viewed in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, is

formed to the shape of a part of a cylindrical surface having its axis coincident with the axis of the pin 30, and the casing 26 is formed to provide a curved surface 34 complementary to the surface 3| and adapted for substantial sliding engagement therewith. The auxiliary nozzle 28 is provided with an upwardly extending sleeve 36 integral therewith in which the lower end of the handle or wand I2 is frictionally or'otherwise suitably socketed and the hollow interior of the sleeve 36 is in open communication with the opening 38 which extends down through the lower face of the auxiliary nozzle 28 and forms a port 40 therefor in the lower face. The lower face of the auxiliary nozzle 28 is so constructed and arranged that when the handle or wand i2 is raised or lifted to the position indicated in Fig. 4, the lower face of the auxiliary nozzle 28 may lie in contact or in a position to contact a supporting surface around the entire periphery of the port 48. When in this position the side faces of the auxiliary nozzle 28 completely shut off communication between the interior of the nozzle 28 and the interior 22 of the casing I6. If the handle or wand i2 is dropped from the position indicated in Fig. 4 to a position such as is indicated in Fig. 3 for instance, which is the normal positon of operaton of the nozzle structure, and in which position the auxiliary nozzle 28 has contact with the floor or other supporting surface only immediately below the pivot pin 30, then the port 46 in the auxiliary nozzle 28 is in open communication with the interior 22 of the casing l6 and consequently any suction effect within the handle or wand I2 is apparent within the space 22 over the full area of the port I'l thereof. When the auxiliary nozzle is moved to the position indicated in Fig. 4, the suction within the handle I2 is prevented from exerting its efiect within the space 22 of the casing I6 and consequently is limited only to the area of the port 40.

The result of this construction is that during ordinary operation'of the nozzle for extracting dust or the like from a carpet or other surface the auxiliary nozzle 28 may be moved to a position such as that indicated in Fig. 3 in which the port 40 is in open communication with the interior 22 of the main nozzle casing l6 and consequently the suction elfect is exerted over the full area of the port l1, and when some piece of material such as a thread or some member such as a pin or the like is encountered and which is ordinarily diflicult to remove from a surface by the normal suction existing within the main nozzle portion of the device, the handle I 2 may be moved to the position indicated in Fig. 4 in which the entire suction effect of the vacuum cleaner may be concentrated over the small area of the port 40 where its higher value will enable such piece of material or member to be picked up. In this connection it may be noted that in the particular construction shown the area of the high suction nozzle port 40 is in the neighborhood of twenty percent of the combined area of the port I! and connected area between the walls 20 forwardly of the pivot pin 30 which also acts as part of the service nozzle port opening when the ham dle I2 is in the position shown in Fig. 3. The difference in the effects of the high pressure nozzle as compared to the service nozzle will of course depend uponthe relative proportions of their port opening areas when separately effective, but the area of the high suction nozzle port should not exceed one-third of the efiective port area of the service nozzl if the most beneficial results are to be obtained.

Thus with the device shown and described by simply raising or lowering the handle or wand l 2,

the usual suction effect on the entire nozzle area may be caused to be effective for ordinary cleaning purposes and when it is desired to pick up some article that does not readily respond to the usual vacuum efiect of the nozzle, the handle may be raised to the position indicated in Fig. 4 and the port 40 may be caused to pass directly over such article whereby the increased vacuum effects apparent therein will cause the article to be withdrawn from the surface. This change in suction effect of the nozzle may be effected by the operator in a simple and easy manner and with a minimum of effort.

The member 24 serves a function additional to that previously mentioned of merely connecting the walls 26 and serving to strengthen them in that it is desirable at times to project the nozzle beneath some piece of furniture such as a bed, or the like, where there is a minimum of vertical clearance and to permit the forward edge of the nozzle to be tipped upwardly away from the supporting surface so as to enable it to be dropped over some particular piece of material which it is desired to pick up. Under such circumstances the handle or wand I2 is dropped to such an ex tent as to bring the collar 36 into contact with the web 24 and after such contact further dropping of the handle l2 will cause the entire nozzle assembly to tip upwardly about the rounded rear edges of the walls 29 so as to enable the nozzle to be projected over the piece of material which it is desired to pick up. 7 g

It may be desirable, under certain circumstances, in order to loosen a piece of material such as a thread or the like which may be partially embedded in or is adhering to the surface being cleaned, to provide some means for mechanically dlslodging such piece of material or loosening its adherence to the surface to enable it to be more readily picked up by the nozzle. This may be effected by inserting in the lower face of the auxiliary nozzle a plurality of groups 50' of relatively short bristles or the like, such bristles being relatively short in order to interfere as little as possible with the application of the high suction effects through the port 40.

It is also desirable to provide some means for preventing inadvertent contact between the metallic portions of the nozzle with the legs of furniture or other articles about which the nozzle is being operated and for this purpose I prefer to provide a rubber bumper 60 surrounding the casing l6 above the flange l8. This bumper 68 may take the form of a strip of rubber or other non-metallic material extended around the casing l8 above the flange I8 and projecting outwardly beyond the outer edges of the flange l8, the free ends of the strip being extended to a point adjacent the walls 20 where they may be secured in place by any suitable means such as screwsj2.

Formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described without departing from the spirit or substance of the broad invention, the scope of which is surate with the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a nozzle structure for vacuum cleaners and the like, in combination, a. hollow main nozzle member provided with a surface contact face having a port opening therein, an auxiliary nozzle member movably associated within said main nozzle member, said auxiliary nozzle member having a surface contact portion provided with a port opening therein of smaller area than and a perimeter not greater than twenty-five per cent of the flrst mentioned port opening to afford a higher velocity suction opening, means for connecting said port openings with a source of suction, said nozzle members being so constructed and arranged that when said face of said auxiliary nozzle member is brought into contact with a supporting surface within the main nozzle it blocks effective communication between said port opening of said main nozzle member and said source of suction and when moved out of a position in contact with a surface it opens communication between said port opening in said main nozzle member and said source of suction through the auxiliary nozzle. g

2. In a nozzle structure for vacuum cleaners and the like, a handle adapted for connection commenwith a source of suction, an auxiliary nozzle member stationary with respect to said handle and having a port opening therein adapted for application to a surface to be cleaned, a hollow main nozzle member pivoted to and surrounding said auxiliary nozzle member and having a service port opening therein adapted for application to a surface to be cleaned, said service port opening being at least twice the length of said port opening in said auxiliary nozzle member, said auxiliary nozzle member being movable by said handle to a position whereby to limit the suction effect of said structure to the port area of said auxiliary nozzle member only, and being movable to another I position wherein said port opening of said auxiliary nozzle is in open communication with said service port opening.

3. In a nozzle structure for vacuum cleaners or the like, a hollow casing having an opening in its lower face forming an air intake, an auxiliary nozzle member pivotally secured to said casing,

means for connecting said auxiliary nozzle member to a source of suction, said auxiliary nozzle member projecting into said casing and having a ported surface contact face optionally movable into contact with a surface to be cleaned within said air intake opening in said casing or to a position to provide open communication between the source of suction and the hollow interior of said casing, said port in the face of the auxiliary member being of a perimeter and area substantially no greater than twenty-five per cent of the perimeter and area of said intake opening in said casing.

4. In a nozzle structure for vacuum cleaners and the like, in combination, a pair of nozzle members each having a face adapted for contact with the surface to be cleaned and a port opening in each face, said port openings being of diiferent areas, one of said members having a vacuum supply opening therein of approximately the same perimeter and area as said port opening therein and said one of said members affording open communication between said vacuum supply opening and the port in the other member when in one position and being movable through the other member thereof whereby to bring its surface contact face into contact with the surface to be cleaned within the area of the port opening of the other of said members, and means limiting movement between said members in at least one direction.

5. In a nozzle structure for vacuum cleaners and the like, in combination, a pair of hollow nozzle members each having a face adapted for contact with the surface to be cleaned and a port opening in each face, said port openings being of different lengths and of diiferent areas, one of said members having a vacuum supply opening therein and the corresponding port opening thereof being of approximately the same perimeter and area as said supply opening'and being movable through the other of said members whereby to afiord open communication between said vacuum supply opening and the port in the other member when in one position and to bring its surface contact face into contact with the surface to be cleaned within the area of the port opening of the other of said members when in another position, a handle affording an air passage secured to said one of said nozzles and so constructed and arranged as to afford a means for controlling the positions of said nozzles relative to one another and as a unit.-

6. A nozzle structure for vacuum cleaners or the like comprising, in combination, a hollow main casing having an elongated port opening in its lower face for contacting a surface to be cleaned and a pocket in open communication with the hollow interior of said casing and extending rearwardly therefrom, an auxiliary nozzle member pivotally secured to said casing and slidable in said pocket, the perimeter and area of the port opening in said auxiliary nozzle not exceeding twenty-five per cent of the perimeter and area of the port opening in said main nozzle,'a handle affording a means for connecting said supply opening to a source of suction secured to said auxiliary nozzle member, said casing and said auxiliary nozzle member being so constructed and arranged as to permit said auxiliary nozzle member to be moved to a position in which it only is effective for producing a suction effect against the surface being cleaned or to a position to place the interior of said casing in open communication with the interior of said auxiliary nozzle member.

7. In a nozzle structure for vacuum cleaners and the like, a hollow casing having a suction opening in its lower face forming an air intake for contacting a surface being cleaned, an auxiliary nozzle member movably secured to said casing, tubular supply means for connecting said auxili'ary nozzle member to a source of suction, said auxiliary nozzle member projecting into said casing and having a ported surface contact face optionally movable into contact with the surface to be cleaned within said air intake opening in said casing or to a position to provide open communication between it and the suction opening of said casing, the area and perimeter of the port in said auxiliary nozzle member not exceeding twenty-five per cent of the effective area and perimeter of said air intake opening.

8. In a nozzle structure for vacuum cleaners and the like, a service nozzle member having an opening therein and adapted for substantially constant contact with a surface to be cleaned, an auxiliary nozzle member having an opening therein connected with a source of suction and associated with said service nozzle and optionally movable relative thereto into a position affording open communication for air between the service nozzle opening and the source of suction and into another position of engaging relation with said surface, and an agitator means associated with said auxiliary nozzle normally out of engagement with said surface but movable with said auxiliary nozzle into contact therewith.

9. In a vacuum cleaner, in combination, a main nozzle member provided with a face having a port opening therein adapted to contact a surface to be cleaned, an. auxiliary nozzle-member engaging said main member and movable relative thereto, said auxiliary nozzle member being provided with a vacuum supply port therein connected to a source of suction and having an opening of not more than twenty-five per cent of the area and perimeter of said port in said main nozzle connected with said port and adapted to contact a surface to be cleaned within the area of said port opening in the main nozzle when said auxiliary nozzle is in one of its movable positions, and to open into the hollow portion of the main nozzle when said auxiliary member is in.

another of its movable positions relative to said member whereby to afford an unrestricted passage for air between the main nozzle and source of suction.

10. In a-nozzle structure for a vacuum cleaner and the like, in combination, a pair of nozzle members each having a face adapted for contact with a surface to be cleaned and a port opening in each face, said port openings being of different areas, one of said members having a vacuum supply'opening therein and said port opening therein having a perimeter and area not greater than twenty-five per cent of the perimeter and area of the port opening in the other of,said members and being pivotally connected and movable within said other of said members whereby to bring its surface contacting face into contact with the surface being cleaned within the area of the port opening of said other of said members when in one position and to afford open communication for air between its port openings and the vacuum supplywhen in an-v other position, and means limiting pivotal movement between said members in at least one direction.

11. In a, suction cleaner, a nozzle structure comprising an outer nozzle member, and an inner nozzle member movably mounted within the outer nozzle member; said inner nozzle member having an opening for connection to a source of suction and being movable to a position wherein its mouth contacts the surface undergoing cleaning and lies within the mouth of the outer nozzle member to prevent unrestricted communication between the outer nozzle member and the source of suction, and also being movable to a position wherein its mouth is away from the surface undergoing cleaning to offer an unrestricted passage for air between the outer nozzle member and the source of suction through the inner nozzle member, the inner nozzle member being provided with a surface contacting agitating means.

12. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle having a main casing provided with a service opening and an auxiliary nozzle provided with an opening of reduced area connected with a source of suction, said auxiliary nozzle being movably. associated with said main casing and movable to a position whereby to limit the suction effect of said structure to the area of the reduced opening and being movable to another position wherein said reduced opening is in open communication with said service opening, in combination, an agitating means upon said auxiliary nozzle for contacting and agitating the surface being cleaned.

13. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle having a main casing provided with a service opening and an auxiliary nozzle provided with a reduced opening connected with a source of suction, said auxiliary being pivotally mounted within said main casing and movable to a position whereby to limit the suction effect of said structure to the area of the reduced opening and being movable to another position wherein sa1d reduced opening is l in open communication with said service opening, in combination, brush means upon said auxiliary nozzle for contacting and agitating the surface being cleaned.

14. A nozzle structure for a. vacuum cleaner comprising in combination, a hollow main nozzle member having a working opening therein for contacting a surface to be cleaned, said opening being relatively elongated andhaving a relatively long perimeter for the area thereof, and an auxiliary nozzle member having a high velocity port therein adapted to contact a surface to be cleaned, said high velocity port having an area not greater than 25% of the area of said working area and having a dimension measured in the direction of length of said working open ing less than 25% of the length of said working opening, and means movably mounting said auxiliary member within said main nozzle member so constructed and arranged as to permit said high velocity port to contact a surface to be cleaned substantially within said working opening, when in one position, and to afford unrestricted communication for air between said high velocity port and said working opening when in another position. I

CLARENCE A. BROOK, 

